Bobert gael oekek



May 17, 1927.

R. C. ORREN RAKE Filed Nov. 12. 1924 FIE-1 Patented May- 17, 1927.

ROBERT CARL GREEN, MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

RAKE.

Application filed November 12, 1924. Serial-No. 749,535.

My invention relates more particularly to hand rakes, either wheeled or without wheels, and is concerned more especially with the structure whereby the teeth are resiliently mounted so that the rake will,

automatically conform itself to the shape of the surfaceqover which it is being moved. Among the objects of my invention are to produce a sim 1e and cheap rake ,ofthe charactor describe and yet such as will be durable and eflicient in. operation; to produce a rake of theoharacter described which'wiil easily and automatically adjust itselfto the shape of the surface over which it is being is moved; to produce a rake-of the character referred to which will be easily assembled; to produce a rake which can be easily cleaned by moving the rake backwardly u on the ground, in event leaves or other su stances should get lodged upon the teeth; and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fullyappear and as are inh'crentin the construction disclosed.

My invention further resides in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and, while I have shown therein a preferred embodiment of my invention 1 desire thesame tobe understood as illustrative 80 only and not as limiting said invention.v In the drawing annexed and forming a part hereof, Fi 1 is a plan view of a portion ofv a blah-ii from which the rake head is made; Fig. 2.i'sxa transverse section substantially along the plane indicated by the line 2-2 Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the rake head, without handle sock-ct, teeth or springs. Referring more in detail to the annexed drawing, the rake comprises a head 1 handle socket 2, a series of rake teeth 3 ant a corresponding series of .sprin s 4,'the rake teeth bein pivoted upon a rod 5 extending longitudinally of the head. In Fig. 1 is shown the blank from which the head 1 is formed, the same beinq' stamped from a piece of sheet metal and having along one o its longitudinal edges a series of transverse slots 6 and along its other longitudinal edge a corresponding series of transverse slots 7. At each end the blank is provided with an ear 8 the re These ears, in shaping the head from the blank are bent in substantially at 1-"- right angles to the major portion of he (perforated at 9 for the reception of head, the fold line being indicated by a dotted line in Fig. 1. Dotted lines extending parallel with the longitudinal edges indicate fold lines along which the sheet metal is bent to produce the channel shaped head shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Ears l0,'perforated at 11 are cut'outof the top of the head as shown in l and folded down as indicated by the otted line in this figure. There are one-or more of these earsupon each side 05 of themiddle line 22*Fig. 1,.tl ic present drawing indicating onlyone. Thisarrazngement results in the vperforations 9 and 11 being aligned on theinside of thehead so that the rod 5 may .be easily inserted through these openings as the. teeth are put in place and the rod shoved in to hold them in assembled relation.

In the rear vertical flange of the channel sha ed head is a slot/12 for the reception of t e attaching end 13' ofthe handle socket 2, the'latter being preferably formed from two pieces of sheet metal stamped and bent into shape and then spot welded along-their edges to secure them together. By preference the handle socket is fastened in place by means of rivets 14, though it will be understood that it may be secured by spot welding, if desired.- When the teeth have been inserted in the head and the rod fi put 3 in to hold them.thcr.e, springs shave one. end secured'rto the hooks .15 and the other end: secured to the bent portion 16 of the' raketeeth. vThis arrangement makcs it possible for the spring to resiliently hold the tooth in one limit of its path of travel and yet, by very slight yielding, to permit it to move to the other limit of its couise of travel. This is believed preferable to having a small red bent "around the tooth near the forward Wall of the channel shaped head and then inserted through a perforation in the top of the head. In this arrangement the spring surrounds the rod and presses at one end against the rake tooth and at its opposite end against the inside of the rake head. This arrangement makes it necessary for a greater amount of compression of the spring than theelongation which is necessary in the present construcm5 tion.

The pivot rod 5 may be held in place in the head 1 either by means of nuts secured to its ends, or by means of cotter pins inserted through perforations in these ends.

elongated piece of sheet metal provided (1' said slots and normally-against one end of If it is desired to provide this rake with wheels, it is only necessary to have a somewhat longer and '5. so that the wheels may be mounted on the ends thereof and have washers placed outside of them and then the cotter pins inserted through openings in the ends of the rod to hold all the parts in assembled relation;

Rakes constructed in accordance with the present disclosure are made in various sizes, preferably not smaller than 20", and vary from that to '60". It is:prefcrred'to-mount the. large sizes upon wheels in order to=make the operation easier.

By means of the rakedescribedlarge areas can be raked in a sinall'space of time and'the rake will press substantiallyuniformly upon the surface. being raked, eventhough that surface may be somewhat irregular. It will also be seen from the foregoing-disclosure that I have provided a rake wliiclriseasy to manufacture and assemble, inexpensive in construction and very efficient-in operation; It is, of course, understood that :the specific description of structure set' forth above may be departed from without'departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

-.1. A blank for a rake head'compri'singan elongated piece of sheet umetalaprovicled along its longitudinal edges with spaced transverse slots for the reception of rake teeth, when the rake-is completed, :and pro- 'vided at intervalsthroughout its length with perforated ears, adapted, when the-blank is bent into shape,to;receive a rocl-foripivotally supporting rake teeth.

2. A blank for arake head comprising an along its longitudinal edges with space transverse slots for the reception of rake teeth, when the rake is completed,'andprovided at intervals through its length with perforated ears, adapted, when the blank is bent into shape, to receive a rod-for plvotany supporting rake teeth, said blank being provided along one of its-longitudinal edges with spaced projections, adapted to be bent into hooks to receive one end of each of a series of springsdesigned to resiliently actuate the rake teeth. 4

3. In a rake, a folded sheet metal head of channel shape having oppositely arranged slots in the sides of the channel, supporting means within the channel to support a pivot rod, a rod supported thereby, and teeth pivoted 0n the rod and extending through the :pairs of oppositely arranged slots,

4. In-a rake, a folded sheet metal head of channel shape having 0 positely arranged slots in the sides of-thec iannel, supporting means within the channel to support a pivot rod, a rod supported thereby, and teeth pivoted 0n the rod and extending through the pairs of oppositely arranged slots, in combination with resilient means -to notmany retain 'the rake teeth at one limit of their pat-hof'travel'in the slots.

5. In. a rake, a folded sheet metal head of channel shape having oppositely arranged slots in the sides of the channel, supporting means connected with the head and adapted to support a pivot rod, a rod supported thereby, and teeth pivoted on the rod and extending through the pairs of oppositely arranged slots.

6. In arake,-a folded sheet met-alliead of,

channel shape, having oppositely arranged transverse slots in the sides of the channel, curved resilient teeth extending through pairs of oppositely arranged slots and resiliently mounted therein, the slots in the head being, in length, several times the diameter of the material of 'the teeth, and means for securing said teeth in position in one slot ofeach pair.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification.

ROBERT CARL ORREN. 

